Gargath Blackhammer
"The orcs will have these lands once again, even if I have to burn down all of Tamriel and rule over the ashes." Gargath Blackhammer, also known as The Barbarian King, and the''' Conqueror of Wrothgar '''was a mighty Orc warlord and a self-proclaimed king. During the early 200s of the Fourth Era, he terrorized the northern and western provinces of Tamriel, and was regarded as one of the most dangerous mortals ever known across the continent, and possibly the world as a whole. He was the elder brother of the Orc warrior Bahgrem, who was an ally of the Last Dragonborn, Astrek Storm-Bladed. After Gargath gained control of his native stronghold, he became convinced that only he could lead the Orcs to their former glory, and he began gathering barbarian tribes from all across Tamriel to serve him. After he had enough under his command he declared himself the Barbarian King, and went on a journey of conquest. Gargath sought to reclaim all that was once Orcish land, and more. He successfully conquered Wrothgar, and from there his armies spread into High Rock, Hammerfell, and Skyrim. To this day the province of Wrothgar is controlled by Gargath's forces, and is hostile to all other nations of Tamriel. Around 205 4E, Gargath reluctantly struck a deal with the mysterious Maghda Witch-Mother and formed the Reach-Hammer Pact, which created an even stronger force that sowed destruction across North-West Tamriel. The Empire initially labeled him a renegade, but eventually he and his forces became known as an entirely hostile nation. He had a massive bounty on his head, at its maximum, around 850,000 septims. History Beginnings and Rise It was the year 165 of the Fourth Era, and the Orc named Gargath was born in a large stronghold nestled in the Wrothgarian Mountains of High Rock. He was born to the prominent Chief of Clan Morkul and his Forge-Wife. Gargath was brought up in the stronghold as a warrior, personally trained by his father. Even from a very young age, Gargath's future could be glimpsed in his actions - he would often chase animals through the wilderness, before brutally killing them for no real reason. He did not claim their meats or pelts, he simply took trophies from their corpses once killed. The stronghold's Wise Woman saw this many times, and warned the Chief that she saw in Gargath a dark heart. The Chief didn't listen. He saw the makings of a strong orc who could one day take his place. During the year 4E 173, Gargath's brother, Bahgrem was born. Young Gargath thought nothing of his infant brother, he believed that Bahgrem would one day be his inferior and his servant even. However, as they both grew up, Bahgrem was shown to be not only an extremely proficient warrior, but also had a good head on his shoulders; he was rational and stoic. Gargath heard talk of this, and he knew that one day his brother would seek the role of Chief, which Gargath believed was his and his alone. And sure enough, many Orcs in the stronghold spoke of Bahgrem as the new Chief. Gargath decided he would never allow this. Through threats and violence, he would claim his rightful place as Chief. It was around this time that the stronghold's Chief became very ill, and though weakened, he continued to rule the stronghold. Though Gargath learned much of battle from his father, and smithing from his mother, the warrior proved himself greater than his father ever was, in terms of sheer martial prowess. As he got older, Gargath proved to be utterly ruthless and brutal. He valued a twisted kind of honor, one rooted in bloodlust and domination. With the stronghold weakened due to the ailing Chief, Gargath called many times for the conquest of other strongholds and for general bloodshed. The stronghold's Wise Woman confronted Gargath on several occasions to attempt calming the Orc's flaming spirit. The Chief was of course proud of his son, but Gargath's ruthlessness put doubt in the old warrior - he wondered if perhaps the Wise Woman was right. However one night, before he could speak with the Wise Woman again, he found her dead with her throat slit. The Chief was shocked but not surprised, he knew violence was simply the Orcish way. Still, he could feel a deep disturbance, as if something more terrible still was going to happen. He felt that blood would soon be shed for the leadership of the stronghold, and he decided to sleep on it. However, that night, the Chief perished in the presence of his wives. Gargath quickly found out about his father's death, and decided now was the time to act. He would slay his brother, and claim the title of Chief for himself. Bahgrem's friends in the stronghold, including their mother, warned him that Gargath would try to kill him. They told him to flee the stronghold in secret, to anywhere but High Rock. Bahgrem knew how dangerous his brother was, and he decided to flee the province that night. He had no map, and no knowledge of where to go. Eventually, he ended up in Skyrim, but that is another story. Gargath decided to strike in the morning (the very morning after Bahgrem's departure, although Gargath had no knowledge of his brother's flight). Him and his allies suddenly secured the stronghold, and he began to question his tribe-kin. None knew of Bahgrem's location, or they pretended not to know. Gargath grew angry. Eventually he came to his mother. She told him that Bahgrem was likely very far from the stronghold. She assured him that he would never find Bahgrem. Infuriated, Gargath strangled his own mother, watching her die with sadistic glee, before tossing her to the dirt. Before departing, he called on all those in the stronghold that would side with him, and all the rest were executed. The Barbarian King's Conquests From that bloody day onwards, Gargath vowed to hunt down his cowardly brother and destroy him. At the same time, he hoped to conquer enough land to make himself not just a Chief of a stronghold, but the King of a nation. Filled with purpose, Gargath and his allies left the stronghold, and began recruiting warriors in other strongholds - many joined willingly, others not so much, their strongholds being put to the torch, with no survivors. Eventually, Gargath began recruiting more than just other orcs. Renegades, bandits, and savages from the continent over began to hear of the power growing in the north, and flocked at the chance to join up. Nords, Redguards, Khajiit, Argonians, and even the savage Reachmen, traveled to the harsh Wrothgarian mountains to meet the mighty Gargath. After he had enough under his command, Gargath declared himself King of his barbarian Empire. Thus earning the title "The Barbarian King". The many tribes of barbarians that were allied to Gargath were scattered all across the northwestern region of Tamriel. These scattered groups, along with Gargath's personal Blackhammer Clan, were still very much nomadic. The Barbarian King knew that unless he acquired a solid center of command and power, his hold over the tribes of barbarians and Orcish clans would crumble. Almost immediately, Gargath knew what needed to be done. In order to solidify his presence in Tamriel, he needed to reclaim the very oldest home of the Orcs - Orsinium. Now Orsinium was a city that was sacked and rebuilt several times throughout history, by Redguard and Breton armies alike. The city had once more suffered a horrendous siege as of the early Fourth Era, and it was once more rebuilt near Skyrim. Gargath knew that if he could conquer Orsinium, he could effectively conquer all of Wrothgar, and establish his barbarian empire there. It was the year 4E 185, and the Blackhammer Clan was carving a path of blood and destruction through the mountains and valleys of eastern High Rock. The city-states of Evermore and Wayrest were extremely concerned by the dramatic increase in violent "bandit" activity in their regions. However, little could be accomplished. The local governments knew almost nothing of the roaming bandits, save for the farms and villages that would end up torched, and all the dead left in their wake. Almost as soon as any kind of militia or fighting force could be raised, the barbarians would already have left the area, leaving only devastation. The various city-states of High Rock debated long hours on this matter, some arguing that they were witnessing full-on military aggression, while other, more distant city-states argued that these incidents represented little more than daring highwaymen and even animal attacks. In the end, no significant armies were raised, and almost no action was taken. This entire ordeal was a testament to not only Gargath's daring brutality, but also his capacity for great cunning. The Orcish warlord was able to move his Blackhammer Clan through the entire eastern countryside of High Rock without being sufficiently detected by the regional governments. This provided a window for Gargath's forces to pass into the nation of Wrothgar, all without having his military effort hindered by the militaries of the Bretons. Gargath takes Orsinium During the winter of 4E 185, Gargath and his Blackhammer Clan reached the stone walls of the New Orsinium, nestled between the mountains of Skyrim and Hammerfell. Immediately, the Barbarian King was disgusted by what he saw - the city kept in poor condition, the Orcs manning the walls and outer defenses looked "weak" and malnourished. Gargath called out at the western wall, demanding an audience with the leader of Orsinium. The King of the city, Throg, soon appeared at the top of the wall, and Gargath revealed his chilling ultimatum. Either the King was to open the gates and step down, or the Blackhammer Clan would purge the city. King Throg, intimidated by the warriors with weapons outside his gates, was too fearful to let in the barbarians, and denied Gargath entry, asking him to turn back and leave his city be. This was to be his last mistake. The Barbarian King gave the order to crush the weaklings inside the walls. The Blackhammers brought up a battering ram, which shattered open the weak walls of Orsinium. As the gates opened, Gargath's men rushed into the gaping entry of the city, and began slaughtering the defenders. The siege of the city saw much blood spilled, and many structures destroyed. By the day's end, the city was completely subdued by the Blackhammer Clan. Gargath had gone into the city keep directly to confront the King of Orsinium. The brutal Gargath killed every single guard that stood between him and the King, and once he had his hands on him, the Barbarian King dragged the King out of the keep before a large crowd of citizens and barbarians alike. In the presence of this crowd, Gargath was met with both praise and horror as he executed Orsinium's King personally. Using his bare fists, he beat his foe bloody, before pinning him down, and bashing his skull into mush - painting the stones red with skull innards. All the while, Gargath screamed Malacath's name. Once he had finished, the Barbarian King declared that a new age had begun, one of glorious conquest and violence that would see the Orcish people rule Tamriel. With this, Gargath declared himself the Barbarian King of Orsinium, and mandated that all tribes and clans that swore allegiance to him rally to the city, and become part of the New Orsinium Empire. Striking Skyrim In the year 4E 201, Gargath received a report from a scout that stated that an orc known as Bahgrem was residing in Skyrim. Gargath, eager to end the threat of his brother, ordered a few expeditionary groups of barbarians to investigate and attack strategic locations throughout Skyrim. They did, which resulted in the raids of several outskirt towns like Ivarstead and Riverwood. Though the attacks were eventually repelled by local defense forces, many innocents, guards, and soldiers alike were killed, and significant property damage was inflicted. When they arrived in force, the barbarians succeeded in claiming several locations as their own, such as Helgen, and forts in regions like The Reach, The Rift, and Falkreath, but with no sign of their quarry. Gargath began to be annoyed by his inability to locate his brother, and so he traveled to Skyrim personally. While there, he received a letter by courier from the Thalmor Ambassador, Vardemo. The letter requested that they speak in person. Gargath traveled to the Thalmor Embassy, where he was brought inside carefully; even the powerful Elves could not deny Orc's reputation and strength. He was brought directly to Ambassador Vardemo, and after a hospitable greeting and introduction, the Ambassador offered Gargath a concord. This deal stated that the Thalmor would not interfere with Gargath's operations, as long as he left sovereign Thalmor territory alone, and in addition, they would lend aid in his search for Bahgrem, if Gargath would also go after the Dragonborn, Astrek Storm-Bladed (who was a major thorn in the side of the Thalmor), and deliver him, alive, to the Embassy. Due to Astrek's role in Skyrim as a hero to the people and a champion of Jarl Ulfric, the Thalmor were reluctant of taking action against Astrek directly - as a result, they sought the aid of Gargath to take action against the Nord hero on their behalf. In addition, the Thalmor recognized the Orc warlord's ambitious actions in other provinces, and sought to use the leverage that would come with their alliance, as a means to expand their influence and gather intelligence on other provinces. Believing that the Thalmor would pose no obstacle or threat to his campaign, the Barbarian King accepted the terms of the pact. It was also here at the Embassy that Gargath met Mistress Taldeer, daughter of Ambassador Vardemo, master of the Golden Eagle Justiciars, whom he would end up being a close friend with. The Hunt Gargath and his barbarians continued their rampage across the Skyrim countryside, soon seizing control of Kolskeggr, Ivarstead, Kynesgrove, Shor's Stone, Dragon Bridge, and several forts and ruins near hold capitals. In one of Gargath's attacks, he happened to his long lost brother in Dragon Bridge, and a brutal battle ensued, though brief. Gargath was stronger and more brutal than Bahgrem, forcing him to retreat. Gargath and a few barbarians chased him briefly, however, Bahgrem was smaller and lighter equipped than his brother, and managed to slip away into the wilds. Infuriated, Gargath vowed to utterly destroy his brother. In his rage, he swung with his massive arm and struck a nearby barbarian, killing him instantly. An effective show of dominance, none of his soldiers did anything in retaliation, he was their king after all. Gargath ordered his men to scour the entire province, and murder anyone who stood in their way; men, women, and children alike. Bahgrem remained on the move with his ally, Astrek Storm-Bladed. The barbarians continued in their hunt for the two warriors. (More to be added) Personal Details Personality Gargath was a violent and cruel Orc. He desired nothing less than the complete eradication of all his enemies. He was so cruel that he gladly killed his own mother with his bare hands. He sought after his own brother's death as well. Gargath killed when he felt like it, wether it was animal or person. He had a short fuse and a wild temper. He would kill his allies who failed in their duties, but sometimes he killed his soldiers just out of anger. However, he was not always angry; he had the capacity to be calm and calculating. When he fought, he did so with pure rage. Gargath was a truly mighty warrior whose fighting style was built around berserking. He crushed all his enemies with sheer rage and force. Armor Gargath's armor was made primarily of orichalcum, leather and bones. He wore spiked orichalcum shinguards and gauntlets. He wore an abdomen guard with Orcish engravings and a Giant's skull framed by tusks. He wore spiked shoulder plates made of thick orichalcum, and each shoulder was adorned with ghastly trophies - the skull and spine of large durzogs. Weapon Gargath's weapon of choice was a deadly two-handed battle hammer which was given the name "The Blackhammer". Though the weapon was intended to be used with two hands due to its size, Gargath was so strong that he carried and fought with it in one hand. This weapon was made with a strong orichalcum and ebony alloy, that allegedly was tempered with flames fed by fire salts and cooled in the blood of a giant. The Orc's brute strength combined with the weight and sheer power of the hammer had the capability to obliterate bones and flesh with ease, and shatter shields and other weapons. This hammer was Gargath's pride, a weapon he slew countless foes with. Feats Gargath Blackhammer came to be a legendary figure in the north of Tamriel, especially amongst his barbarian empire. Not only was he feared for his brutality and ruthlessness, but also for his strength. Gargath was so strong that he wielded his Blackhammer, a heavy two handed weapon, in one hand and swung it with ease in battle, with force to shatter bone in a single blow. During the Battle of Ivarstead, the Blackhammer Clan attacked the town in order to claim it. Shortly after, a terrifying fire dragon came to take advantage of the battle, and Gargath chose to face the dragon directly on the ground. The Orc delivered an incredibly strong punch straight to the dragon's jaw that stunned the beast long enough for Gargath to deliver a killing blow with the Blackhammer. Category:Characters Category:Orsimer Category:Males Category:Kings Category:Barbarians Category:Raijoo's Canon